


Mid-week Getaway

by scribblenubbin



Category: Last Tango In Halifax
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-30
Updated: 2013-12-30
Packaged: 2018-01-06 18:28:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1110140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblenubbin/pseuds/scribblenubbin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Celia agrees to look after Helena so that Caroline and Kate can go away overnight. It's not until they're gone that it dawns on her what they might be up to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mid-week Getaway

“Mum, I have a favour to ask.” Caroline said over a cup of tea in the kitchen, on the first day of the half term holiday.

“Well, spit it out then.” Celia answered with her usual bluster.

“Well it’s more of a favour of you and Alan, actually.” Caroline replied, sipping her tea.

“Dear God, Caroline, just say it.” Celia hated it when her daughter beat around the bush.

“Well, as the boys are both away this week and it’s just me and Kate at home with Helena, I want to spoil her a bit.” Caroline knew that Celia was still coming to terms with her relationship with Kate.

“I can’t blame you there, that baby has to be keeping you both up all hours of the day and night.” Celia answered.

“Well, yes, Helena, does have quite a powerful set of lungs, although she’s now sleeping for five hours straight during the night.” Caroline smiled over at the baby who was asleep in her moses basket. “The thing is, I was wondering if you and Alan might consider having Helena tomorrow night. I know it’s short notice, but I want to surprise Kate with an overnight stay at a spa. Help her revitalise whilst I’m off.”

“Tomorrow, you say?” Celia asked. “I’ll need to check with Alan first, but I don’t see it being a problem. You’ve enough bottles for us to have her overnight?”

“I’m sure we do. Or we can do.” Caroline smiled. “So, if we drop Helena off with you around eleven tomorrow morning?”

“Eleven will be fine.” Celia smiled. Her daughter really was thoughtful when it came to others. She was proud of her for that fact.

“And of course, we’ll have our mobiles if you need us for anything.” 

“I did raise you, you know.” Celia answered with a smile.

“I know you did, Mother.” Caroline replied as Helena began to stir.

***

Caroline put the overnight bags into the boot of her car as Kate finished getting Helena ready. The tall blonde woman smiled to herself as she quickly opened her bag again to check that she had everything with her that she needed. Her blue eyes fell on the something special she had packed whilst Kate was in the shower that morning and she tried to quell the feeling of joy that filled her. It wasn’t guaranteed but that was the point of this night away. And this time, she’d done it right. She’d booked them a kingsized bed a quaint little country hotel. The same one as their original doomed getaway. That hotel had been the place where they had fallen apart, but ultimately it had been the place where they had come back together again and that made it special in her eyes. It was there on her mother’s wedding night that she had kissed Kate in front of all the guests at the reception, had thrown caution to the wind and shown the world that Kate was hers and hers alone.

Caroline closed the bag, shut the boot and headed back into the house. She found Kate sitting in the living room, Helena cradled close to her and looked at them both with the kind of love that only comes from being with the people that matter most. Kate looked up at her, her dark eyes showing her feelings for the older woman and her face broke into a smile.

“You’re sure your mum doesn’t mind having Helena overnight?” Kate asked softly.

“I’m sure. And I’m also sure that you deserve a night of purely adult company.” Caroline replied, walking into the room.

“I don’t deserve you.” Kate smiled back at her.

“You deserve better.”

“There is no one better.” Kate reached out with her free hand and took Caroline’s in hers. “We may have had a rocky start, but you’re mine now, and I’m not giving you up.”

Caroline squeezed Kate’s hand affectionately and ran her thumb across the back of it.

“We should get our daughter to her grandparents.” Kate sighed, happy to stay where they were for the time being.

“And then, I’m whisking you away.” Caroline smiled. “And this time, there will be no single rooms.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Kate smiled and slowly let go of Caroline’s hand.

“Let’s drop Helena off and then get going.” Caroline beamed at them both.

***

It wasn’t until just before lunch, with the baby in her pram, walking through the park with Alan, that something dawned on Celia. Something that left her feeling disgusted and used by her daughter.

“They haven’t gone to a spa at all.” She said to Alan as she sat on a wooden park bench, looking over an artificial pond.

“Of course they have.” Alan replied with slight confusion.

“No, they haven’t. I’ve given my daughter and her... her girlfriend a mucky midweek break and I didn’t even realise it at the time.” Celia frowned.

“They are both grown adults, Celia.” Alan said with a sigh.

Celia’s feathers were ruffled and she wasn’t happy but she knew that Alan wouldn’t let her ring Caroline and tell her to come and collect Helena. Instead she just sighed with him and looked down into the pram.

“Perhaps a cup of tea and a sandwich at the café.” Alan suggested and Celia just nodded.

***

“Caroline, are you sure we should be staying here?” Kate asked as they pulled up to the familiar hotel.

“I’m sure. It’s where things went wrong but also where we got back together again.” Caroline answered. “Besides, I want to see the receptionist’s face when I arrive with you and not Gillian.” She laughed.

“You’re awful.” Kate laughed.

“I won’t deny it.” Caroline smiled and got out of the car, going to grab both of their bags from the boot of the car. 

Kate took in the view as she stepped out of the car. Caroline was right. This hotel had played a significant part in their relationship and this was the chance for them to do it right. To get away and enjoy each other’s company the way they should have the last time. She went to take her bag from Caroline and Caroline just shook her head.

“This weekend is about spoiling the mother of my child.” Caroline answered. “And I hope you realise that does not make me the man in this relationship.”

“Caroline, if you were a man, I wouldn’t be here.” Kate smiled.

“I did wonder...” Caroline teased and led the way down the path and into the hotel reception.

***

Alan carried Helena in her car seat into the flat. The sleeping baby had finally given in on the ride home and now he didn’t want to move her out of it for fear she’d start up again. He knew that Celia’s bad mood had affected Helena, that was obvious from the way in which the baby had refused to settle in Celia’s arms after being fed at the cafe. She’d been grumpy ever since. Now she was asleep he was going to sit down and talk to his wife about her attitude. He knew he’d tried before but this time he was going to do it and he was going to make himself clear.

“Right, I’ll put the kettle on then.” Celia said as she came through the door.

“Sit down, love. We need to talk.” Alan said calmly but firmly.

“We have...” She saw the look on his face and sighed. “Alright then, what are we talking about?” She asked as she sat down.

“Your attitude.” He answered. Celia looked ready to interject but he carried on. “Your Caroline is a grown woman, if she goes away with the person she loves for a so-called ‘mucky mid-week break’ that’s up to her and there’s nothing you can say or do that will change it. I’m sure if she had gone with a man rather than a woman you wouldn’t have anything to say about it.”

“Well, no, but...” Celia answered.

“There’s no buts.” Alan said firmly. “You need to accept that Caroline is in love, she and Kate have a daughter and they are a family. I’ve seen the way you are with Helena and you’re starting to accept her, so you need to start accepting her biological mother as well. I mean it.”

Celia just looked at him. Her face showing her annoyance at being spoken to in that manner.

“If that’s the way you see it.” She blustered.

“It is.” He answered.

“Right, well I’ll put the kettle on.”

***

Caroline smiled as Kate came out of the bathroom, her hair framing her face in that perfect way it did when she wore it down, the soft purple line of her dress accentuating each of her curves so beautifully. Caroline wasn’t sure what she’d done to deserve this beautiful woman in her life, but she was aware that Kate caused butterflies in her stomach every time she walked into a room or looked at her with those soft brown eyes that spoke volumes about her feelings. She’d never had anyone look at her the way Kate did. Never felt like someone was undressing her with their eyes. Not until Kate.

“Dinner awaits.” Caroline smiled, pulling her girlfriend in and kissing her with a soft passion.

“It could wait a while longer.” Kate breathed back at her.

“We have all night for that.” Caroline smiled as Kate’s stomach growled. “Besides, I feel like showing you off. You’re too beautiful to be wasted on just me.”

“My, my, Caroline Elliot no longer wanting to stay in hiding.” Kate teased and ran her hand through Caroline’s blonde tresses.

“Never again.” Caroline answered before kissing Kate again. “I want the world to know how proud I am to have you.”

“I’ll remind you of that before your next meeting with the board of governors.” Kate laughed softly as she pulled back and went to fetch her handbag.

Caroline grabbed hers and felt the bag, making sure everything she needed was in it.

“Well, Ms. Elliot, shall we?” Kate asked, moving to stand beside her.

“Why yes, Ms. McKenzie, we shall.” Caroline opened the door for her and enjoyed the fact that as Kate walked through, she could see the way the dress clung to her.

***

Celia put the dinner on the table as Alan changed Helena’s nappy. She watched him with thoughtful eyes. Celia would never tell him, but she knew he was right. If she could accept the baby, she would have to accept Kate. But the thought of what Caroline and Kate could be getting up to turned her stomach. In their day, women didn’t do that sort of thing with each other, they just didn’t. And Kate was a lovely person, as people go, but it just wasn’t proper. Was it? And what would Helena call them when she got older and started speaking? Kate was her mother, her biological mother, and that made Caroline her step mother. Would she call them both Mum? It all confused Celia.

“Tea’s ready, love.” She said softly as Alan smiled down at a now ready for bed Helena.

“I’ll just get her to sleep.” He said as he continued smiling at the baby.

“I’ll put a cover over yours then.” Celia answered, keeping her voice light.

“Won’t take me five minutes.” He pulled Helena into his arms and rocked her gently, singing softly to her. “Hush little baby, don’t say a word...”

A smile grew across Celia’s face. She wondered in that moment what it would have been like to raise children with him. If Caroline had been his and Gillian had been hers. Would they have turned out differently or would they still be chalk and cheese? She’d never know, and nothing could change that fact, but perhaps she could enjoy being a grandmother and a great-grandmother with him instead. Maybe, just maybe, she would accept Kate. If she could get the image of what Caroline and Kate might be up to out of her head.

***

It was as they enjoyed their after dinner coffee that Caroline slipped her hand into her handbag and her fingers curled around the thing she had been keeping concealed for the past week. Her nerves were starting to create swooping bats in her stomach and she found herself uncharacteristically unsteady. She could see Kate watching her, that magical love in her eyes and the concern that went with it and Caroline decided in that moment it was now or never. Without saying a word, she removed the object from her bag and in one fluid movement knelt before Kate. Kate’s eyes widened. This was the last thing she had expected from the woman she loved and as she looked into those beautiful blue eyes, she could see that Caroline wasn’t just doing this out of a sense of duty, this was being done with love and certainty, even if she wasn’t sure of the answer. Kate’s breath hitched in her throat as Caroline started to speak.

“Kate, my darling Kate. I know I’ve not been the easiest woman to have a relationship with. I know that I can drive you completely potty.” Caroline began, her nerves showing in her voice in a way that wouldn’t normally. “But the truth is, I love you. I’ve loved you a lot longer than I’ve allowed myself to admit and I can’t imagine not being with you and I want to share that love with the world, if you’ll let me.”

Kate’s eyes widened further as Caroline opened the ring box. The ring was white gold with a diamond in the centre, a small amethyst one one side of it and a sapphire as blue as Caroline’s eyes on the other.

“Kate McKenzie, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?” Caroline asked, wondering, just for a second, if it mattered who did the proposing in a lesbian relationship.

Kate nodded. “Yes.” She whispered. She couldn’t quite believe it as Caroline slipped the ring on her finger and pulled her into a passionately loving kiss. Kate kissed her back, once again running her hand through those blonde tresses. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was.

“And now you know why I insisted of food first.” Caroline whispered as she pulled back from Kate.

“So you didn’t lose your bottle?” Kate teased.

“So you were sitting down.” Caroline laughed. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Kate smiled. “You know, that’s the first time we’ve told each other that in public.”

“It is.” Caroline smiled as the waiter approached with a bottle of champagne.

“On the house. Congratulations.” He smiled at them. He was a slip of a lad, barely older than William.

“Thank you.” Caroline smiled at him. “I think we’ll take that to our room.”

“I’ll make sure it’s delivered along with an ice bucket and glasses.” He answered and took it away with him again.

“Shall we?” Caroline asked Kate, and offered her hand.

“Let’s.” Kate smiled and leaned in, kissing Caroline again.

***

Helena was asleep in the travel cot at the end of their bed and Alan was laying there watching Celia as she climbed into bed.

“I’ve been a daft old fool.” She said to him as she settled under the covers.

“You’re my daft old fool.” He smiled at her and put his arm around her.

“Caroline’s a grown woman. She knows what she wants and I shouldn’t interfere.” It was her way of saying she’d heard him earlier.

“That she does.” He answered. “And you have to admit she’s happy.”

“That she is.” Celia smiled. “And as long as I don’t think about what they’re up to, I can accept that.”

“I don’t think any parent wants to think about their children being adults in that sense of the word.” Alan laughed. “Our Raph came from the stork. That’s how I see it and how I always will.” He laughed softly.

“You daft beggar.” Celia laughed. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Mrs Buttershaw.” He smiled and pulled her closer.

***

Once they were back in the comfort of their hotel bedroom, Caroline shut the door and pulled Kate into her arms. The champagne was already sitting there in the ice bucket, but she didn’t care about that. She pressed her lips to Kate’s in a hungry passion, her hands moving round the younger woman’s back, fumbling for the zip to her dress as Kate pressed her up against the door, her own passion pulsing through her. Both women fleetingly thought that this was how things should have been that first time at this hotel, but they pushed it out of their minds as Caroline’s fingers found the zip of Kate’s dress and began to tug at it.

Kate pushed her leg between Caroline’s pressing it there, aware of just how much Caroline loved feeling like she was losing some of the control. She pulled back from Caroline’s lips as Caroline managed to loosen her dress and began to kiss her way down her lover’s neck. Caroline let out a soft gasp as Kate kissed her pulse point. Her hands wondered down Kate’s arms, hovering over the strapless bra she was wearing. She pulled at the clasp and freed it quicker than she had the dress, pushing herself against Kate, trying to get the leverage to move away from the door and free herself of her own navy blue gown.

“Not yet.” Kate growled and nipped at Caroline’s ear, pressing herself closer into Caroline and running her hand over the soft material.

Caroline felt her stomach flutter as Kate hit that sensitive spot just above her hip. She still couldn’t understand how Kate had managed to find that on the first night they shared a bed. She hadn’t even been aware that it was there. She moaned again, wanting nothing but to feel her naked body against her fiancée’s. Her fiancée. Kate was her fiancée. Kate had said yes. That in itself was a turn on and Caroline willingly gave in to Kate’s desires.

Kate smiled as she pulled back slightly. She looked at Caroline with lust in her eyes and pulled her forward, reaching for the zip at the back of the older woman’s dress and having more success than Caroline had had in removing her own quickly. As the blue material pooled at Caroline’s feet, Kate let out her own gasp as she realised that her love was wearing stockings. 

“You like?” Caroline purred as she saw Kate’s desire for her.

“I love.” Kate growled and pulled Caroline over to the bed.

Caroline fell onto the bed and looked up at Kate, her blue eyes glazing over with lust and desire. Kate still had that small bump that comes from having had a baby and it fascinated Caroline. She wondered if all partners looked at the mother of their children with the same lust and desire she felt in that moment. She reached up and ran her hand over Kate’s stomach, loving the way it twitched under her touch.

“You’re perfect.” She whispered.

Kate smiled and pushed Caroline back so that she was lying flat out on the bed. “I could say the same about you.” She replied as she ran her dark hand over Caroline’s contours, her hand reaching for the front clasp of Caroline’s bra. She pulled at it and pushed the bra out of the way, leaning in and kissing each of Caroline’s soft white breasts tenderly.

Caroline pulled Kate’s head in closer as she kissed her right breast, running her hands through Kate’s hair and down towards her back. She loved the way her body responded to Kate’s ministrations and the way Kate responded to hers. She found her hands wondering down towards Kate’s bottom and pulled her in close by it. Not minding the fact she was still wearing her underwear. That would be gone soon enough. In fact... She tugged at it, pulling it down and out of the way as Kate did the same to hers, being careful to leave the stockings in place. Caroline gave a half smirk when she realised just how much Kate appreciated the stockings and pulled her in closer, pressing her thigh between Kate’s legs and rubbing her stocking clad leg up and down slightly against the younger woman’s heat, causing Kate to moan, throwing her head back slightly and showing her dark nipples to their best advantage.

Caroline seized the opportunity and pushed herself up on one arm, capturing one of Kate’s breasts in her hand and gently caressing it. She played with her nipple with her fingers, loving the way it responded to her touch, hardening as she pulled at it gently. Kate moaned softly and pressed herself against Caroline’s leg, causing her own thigh to press against Caroline. The blonde slowly began to increase the pace with which she moved her leg. She loved the way that from this angle, she could see every muscle twitch that showed her love’s enjoyment, the way in which Kate closed her eyes and parted her lips as she began to match the rhythm that Caroline was setting. Caroline moaned and closed her own eyes briefly, aware of the heat that was running through both of their bodies.

Kate better angled herself, never once losing the contact with Caroline, but giving herself better leverage as she rocked back and forth against her. Both women could feel the beginnings of their respective orgasms and Kate was desperate to push her lover over the edge. She reached forward, taking Caroline’s breast in her hand and mimicking the ministrations Caroline was using on her own. Caroline moaned and increased her pace. She could feel the way in which her orgasm was building and her stocking was wet with Kate’s desire. She opened her eyes again and watched as Kate’s eyes closed, her throat bared to Caroline. Caroline whimpered and bucked her hips, she was getting closer, it wouldn’t take much more to push her over the edge and Kate pressed closer into her as her own orgasm hit, tumbling over her like a wave crashing onto the beach. She pushed her hand between her leg and Caroline’s heat as she came, rubbing her love to her own crescendo.

Caroline shook with the force of her orgasm and felt her hips lift from the bed, her eyes screwed tight as she called Kate’s name. Kate slowly fell on top of her, happily spent.

“I should propose more often if that’s what happens.” Caroline breathed teasingly.

“As long as it’s only to me.” Kate smiled, pushing Caroline’s hair out of her face. “I don’t want to share you with anyone.”

“Only to you.” Caroline whispered and kissed her softly.

Kate responded with a gentle kiss, one which showed her love for Caroline, her happiness at how far they’d come and just how right she felt.

“Just wait until your mother finds out we’re getting married.” Kate teased after several minutes of just lying in Caroline’s arms.

Caroline laughed and pulled her fiancée in closer. Her mother was the last thing on her mind in that instant. They still had the rest of the night together, and that was all Caroline cared about.


End file.
